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Exploring the Relationship between Plume Height and SO2 Flux for Explosive Eruptions

^^Frances Beckett^1^, Nina Kristiansen1, Thomas Aubry2, Samantha Engwell3

  • Affiliations: 1 Met Office, UK 2 Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, UK 3 British Geological Survey, UK

  • Presentation type: Poster

  • Presentation time: Thursday 16:30 - 18:30, Room Poster Hall

  • Poster Board Number: 263

  • Programme No: 6.4.10

  • Theme 6 > Session 4

Abstract

Explosive volcanic eruptions can release large quantities of gas, including sulphur dioxide (SO2) into the atmosphere. Elevated concentrations of SO2 can pose a health hazard or impact aircraft components and hence maintenance cycles. Exposure levels are determined by the extent of the SO2 cloud and concentrations.  Forecasts of the expected behaviour of volcanic SO2 clouds can be generated using atmospheric transport and dispersion models, driven by meteorological data and initialised with information about the source of the pollutant into the atmosphere. Key source parameters are the height over which the gas is being released and the SO2 flux.  Here we consider the feasibility of using an empirical relationship to describe SO2 flux as a function of plume height, as an operational tool for real-time response when measurements are scarce. We make use of two databases. The Multi-Satellite Volcanic Sulphur Dioxide Database which compiles global emissions derived from ultraviolet satellite measurements, and the Independent Volcanic Eruption Source Parameter Archive (IVESPA) database. We use recorded information on the duration, total erupted ash mass, ash plume top height and spreading height, and the height of the SO2 plume, for events common to both databases. We explore several approaches for fitting a relationship between the observations of plume height and SO2 flux and discuss the appropriateness of each. We conduct case studies from which we outline the advantages and limitations of using an empirical approach for defining SO2 flux from explosive eruptions for operational response.